Engine under-cover

Abstract

To provide an engine under-cover that is excellent in aerodynamic performance and sound vibration performance while reliably receiving engine oil that is discharged from an oil discharge port on an engine side.SOLUTION: An under-cover 40 includes an oil receiving surface 41 that is installed under an engine 10. The oil receiving surface 41 includes an oil draining hole 42 downward an oil discharge port 21 on an engine side. The oil draining hole 42 is open in a position opposite to an axial direction CL of a drain bolt 30 of the oil discharge port 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an engine undercover. [Background technology]

[0002] The technology described in Patent Document 1 discloses an undercover that has an oil receiver installed perpendicular to the direction in which engine oil flows out from the engine's oil pan, and has a large opening diameter for the drain outlet, taking into account the flow of engine oil. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 2-8684 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the undercover disclosed in Patent Document 1, the oil receiver is provided only in a direction perpendicular to the outflow direction of engine oil discharged from the oil pan of the engine. Therefore, if the oil receiver is only perpendicular, it is difficult to reliably receive the engine oil if the engine oil spills and scatters in the horizontal direction.

[0005] In addition, when the oil is drained, the flow rate decreases as the remaining amount of engine oil decreases, making it difficult to collect the engine oil that has trickled down the surface of the oil pan.Furthermore, the opening diameter of the oil drain port in the undercover is set large, which is a disadvantageous shape in terms of aerodynamic performance and noise and vibration performance.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made with an eye on such problems, and its object is to provide an engine undercover that reliably receives engine oil discharged from the oil discharge port on the engine side, while also having excellent aerodynamic performance and noise and vibration performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, an engine undercover according to one aspect of the present invention is an undercover attached to the underside of the engine and having an oil receiving surface, the oil receiving surface having an oil drain hole below an oil discharge port on the engine side, and the oil drain hole opening at a position axially opposite to the drain bolt of the oil discharge port. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, engine oil discharged from an oil discharge port on the engine side can be reliably received, while excellent aerodynamic performance and noise and vibration performance can be achieved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an embodiment of an undercover for an engine according to an aspect of the present invention, the cross-section being taken along the longitudinal direction of a vehicle in which the engine is mounted. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an oil receiving surface portion of the undercover of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the range of formation of the oil receiving surface of the undercover in FIG. 1. The upper part of the figure shows an image of the discharge range of engine oil discharged from the oil discharge port of the oil pan, and the lower part of the figure shows an image of setting the range of formation of the oil receiving surface according to the discharge range of engine oil. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are schematic. Therefore, it should be noted that the relationship between thickness and planar dimensions, ratios, etc. differ from the actual ones, and the drawings also include portions where the relationship and ratio of dimensions differ from each other. Furthermore, the embodiments described below are intended to exemplify devices and methods for embodying the technical ideas of the present invention, and the technical ideas of the present invention do not limit the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, etc. of the components to the embodiments described below.

[0011] 1, the under-cover 40 of this embodiment has an oil receiving surface 41 provided below the oil pan 20 of the engine 10. The oil receiving surface 41 has an oil drain hole 42 below the oil discharge port 21 formed in the oil pan 20 on the engine side. Note that the engine 1 is designed so that oil can be drained without removing the under-cover 40. A flanged drain bolt 30 is detachably attached to the oil discharge port 21 with a screw along the axial direction. One oil drain hole 42 is provided at a position opposite the oil discharge port 21 to the drain bolt 30 in the axial direction.

[0012] In this embodiment, two circular oil drain holes 42 are formed at positions facing each other in the axial direction of the drain bolt 30. The total opening area of ​​the two oil drain holes 42 is larger than the total opening area of ​​the oil discharge port 21. If there were only one oil drain hole 42, the opening diameter would be larger than the opening diameter of the oil discharge port 21.

[0013] In this embodiment, the opening diameter of each oil drain hole 42 is larger than the outer diameter of the flange 31 of the drain bolt 30. As shown in the image of tool T in FIG. 1, one oil drain hole 42 is larger than the outer diameter of the head portion of the part into which tool T, used to attach or detach the drain bolt 30, is inserted in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction.

[0014] 2, the under-cover 40 of this embodiment has an oil receiving wall 43 formed in a trapezoidal shape that is convex upward so as to surround the periphery of the oil drain hole 42. The under-cover 40 of this embodiment has an oil receiving surface 41 that is provided with a downward slope for oil flow from the oil receiving wall 43 toward the oil drain hole 42 (see FIG. 1).

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, in the under-cover 40 of this embodiment, the height of the convexity of the opposite-side receiving wall 45 on the left side of the oil receiving wall 43 is lower than the height of the convexity of the opposite-side receiving wall 44 on the right side of the figure, which is in the oil blowing direction, and as shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate portions of the opposite-side receiving wall 44 and the opposite-side receiving wall 45 are integrally formed by a continuous surface.

[0016] 3 shows an image of the discharge range of engine oil discharged from the oil discharge port 21 of the oil pan 20. As shown in the figure, the range in which the oil receiving surface 41 of the under-cover 40 is formed expands along the axial direction CL of the drain bolt 30 at the initial stage Bd of oil discharge, and the oil flows out over a relatively narrow range in the lateral direction. On the other hand, as the flow rate decreases due to the decrease in the remaining amount of engine oil, at the end of the oil discharge Ed, the oil drips down along the surface of the oil pan 20 in the direction of gravity and flows out over a relatively wide area in the lateral direction. Therefore, in the undercover 40 of this embodiment, the formation range of the oil receiving surface 41 is narrower on the opposing receiving wall 44 side than on the opposite receiving wall 45 side in accordance with the oil discharge range, as shown in the lower part of the same figure, and the setting range is as compact as possible.

[0017] Next, the effects of the undercover 40 of this embodiment will be described. In the undercover 40 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, one oil drain hole 42 is opened at a position facing the axial direction CL of the drain bolt 30 attached to the oil discharge port 21. As a result, according to the under-cover 40 of this embodiment, in the engine 1 in which engine oil is discharged without removing the under-cover 40, the opening diameter of the oil drain hole 42 can be set to the minimum necessary. Therefore, the aerodynamic performance of the under-cover 40 and the amount of noise radiated from the engine 1 leaking outside the vehicle through the oil drain hole 42 are minimized, thereby suppressing deterioration of noise and vibration performance [Invention 1].

[0018] Furthermore, in the under-cover 40 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, an oil receiving wall 43 is provided that surrounds the periphery of the oil drain hole 42, so that engine oil discharged from the oil drain hole 42 can be prevented from flowing out of the oil receiving wall 43. It is also possible to prevent engine oil from flowing away from the oil drain hole 42 of the under-cover 40 and remaining on the upper surface of the under-cover 42. In other words, with this configuration, in the engine 1 in which engine oil is drained without removing the under-cover 40, removing the under-cover 42 is made as unnecessary as possible, and the effort of wiping off the oil with a rag or the like is also made as unnecessary as possible [Invention 2].

[0019] Furthermore, in the under-cover 40 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the height of the convexity of the opposite-side receiving wall 45 on the left side of the figure is lower than the height of the convexity of the opposite-side receiving wall 44 on the right side of the figure, which is on the oil-blowing direction side, and as also shown in FIG. 2, the opposite-side receiving wall 44 on the side in the direction in which engine oil is blown out from the oil discharge port 21 is made higher than other parts. As a result, according to the undercover 40 of this embodiment, the opposite receiving wall 44 more reliably prevents engine oil from leaking from the oil receiving wall 43, while the opposite receiving wall 45 on the opposite side (left side) can be lowered to ensure a gap in the direction opposite the engine 1, which is advantageous in terms of layout [Invention 3].

[0020] 1, the under-cover 40 of this embodiment has an oil flow slope on the oil receiving surface 41 that slopes downward from the oil receiving wall 43 toward the oil drain hole 42. As a result, with the under-cover 40 of this embodiment, engine oil can be reliably drained from the oil drain hole 42 without remaining on the under-cover 40. This is more suitable for draining all of the engine oil and minimizes the need for wiping with a rag or the like [Invention 4].

[0021] In addition, in the under-cover 40 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the opening area of ​​the circular oil drain hole 42 is larger than the opening area of ​​the oil discharge port 21, which is more suitable for discharging engine oil discharged from the oil pan 20 without allowing the engine oil to remain in the under-cover 40 [Invention 5].

[0022] 1, the opening diameter of the circular oil drain hole 42 in the undercover 40 of this embodiment is larger than the outer diameter of the flange 31 of the drain bolt 30. As a result, according to the undercover 40 of this embodiment, the drain bolt 30 can be attached and detached from the oil drain hole 42 without removing the undercover 40, further improving maintainability [Invention 6].

[0023] In addition, in the undercover 40 of this embodiment, as shown in the image of the tool T in FIG. 1, the oil drain hole 42 is larger than the outer diameter of the portion into which the tool T used to attach and detach the drain bolt 30 is inserted. As a result, according to the undercover 40 of this embodiment, the tool T can be inserted through the oil drain hole 42 without removing the undercover 40, which further improves maintainability [Invention 7].

[0024] As described above, the undercover 40 of this embodiment reliably receives engine oil and is excellent in aerodynamic performance and noise and vibration performance. The engine undercover according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 10 Engine 20 Oil pan 21 Oil outlet 30 Drain bolt 40 Undercover 41 Oil receiving surface 42 Oil drain hole 43 Oil receiving wall 44 Opposite side support wall 45 Opposite side support wall CL Drain bolt axial direction T-tool

Claims

1. An undercover attached to the underside of the engine and having an oil receiving surface, The oil receiving surface has an oil drain hole below the oil discharge port on the engine side, The engine undercover is characterized in that the oil drain hole is open at a position axially opposite to the drain bolt of the oil discharge port.

2. 2. The engine undercover according to claim 1, further comprising an oil receiving wall that is convex upward around the oil drain hole.

3. 3. The engine undercover according to claim 2, wherein the height of the convexity of the opposite receiving wall on the opposite side of the engine oil blowing direction is lower than the height of the convexity of the opposite receiving wall on the side in the blowing direction of the engine oil discharged from the oil discharge port.

4. 3. The engine undercover according to claim 2, wherein the oil receiving surface has a downward inclination that allows engine oil to flow from the oil receiving wall toward the oil drain hole.

5. 2. The engine undercover according to claim 1, wherein an opening area of ​​the oil drain hole is larger than an opening area of ​​the oil discharge port.

6. 6. The engine undercover according to claim 5, wherein the oil drain hole is circular and the opening diameter thereof is larger than the outer diameter of the flange of the drain bolt.

7. 6. The engine undercover according to claim 5, wherein the oil drain hole is circular and has an opening diameter larger than an outer diameter, in a direction perpendicular to an insertion direction, of a portion into which a tool used to attach or detach the drain bolt is inserted.

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